Latinx Youth in America – Part 2

LImmigration is a “touchy” subject for many. In many cases, Latinx youth often find themselves in the middle of the conversation. Why? Of course, Latinx youth are the offspring of immigrants, but there must be a much deeper reason as to why Latinx youth are directly affected by the biases/perceptions of immigration by others.

I recently conversed and asked a few questions to first-generation college student Ana Antuna. Ana is currently a sophomore at USC, so I wanted to get her perspective on this issue.

When asked what three words she thought of when she thought of immigrants she responded “resilient, powerful, and work ethic.” All these words are, of course, only fitting for immigrants of the Latinx community that work twice as hard to receive a “bare minimum” life here in the United States.

Ana also emphasized the importance of spreading awareness about immigrants and the hardships endured by them. As a first-generation college student attending a predominantly affluent school she spoke about the pressure she feels “to always be right, or else everyone will look at me.” This is just one of the many fears/struggles children of immigrants face while in college.

It’s of utmost importance to both prepare and support first-gen latinx youth while they’re in college – reinforcing the college’s belief that they could perform up to par and succeed at their institution. If not, these institutions will lose a capable student.